Fatal Choice: Nuclear Weapons and the Illusion of Missile Defense

by Richard Butler

We continue to face a choice with respect to nuclear weapons - either to move safely towards their elimination or to remain their victim. A forty-year effort to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0813339804
• ISBN13: 9780813339801
• Release Date: December 2001
• Publisher: Westview Press
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.74 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.8" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Important Ideas Concerning Treaties and Nukes

Richard Butler, a proponent of the abolition of all nuclear weapons, has written an important book concerning the current state of nuclear weapons in the world. His main thesis states that the problem with nuclear weapons are the weapons themselves and anything short of getting rid of them a futile effort. Specifically he refers to the Bush administrations future deployment of National Missile Defence as the "fatal choice." According to Butler, the advocates of missile defense and other measures designed to keep and expand nuclear arsenals in the U.S. use the argument that current treaties, especially the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, are not being adhered to and are thus useless. Butler, however, indicts the U.S. as being the main noncopliant culprit in that the U.S. has not bilaterally reduced its arsenal along with Russia to lower levels as is required in the treaty. Instead of scrapping the treaties, Butler advocates that these treaties ought to be bolstered and the proper institution be established to ensure compliance by all signators. Butler's book outlines effectively a few specific arguments against NMD.